In line with Acne Resource Center statistics, 60 million Americans are currently dealing with active acne problems on their skin. One major area where acne may cause issues is on the face, specifically around the follicles of facial hair. Although men usually tend to deal with acne and facial hair, women also can be plagued with both facial hair growth and acne formation.

Skin Cells and Sebum
The hair follicles of your face are constantly shedding (sloughing) dead skin cells. As these follicles shed, they will combine with sebum in the follicles to create a small plug known as a comedone (whiteheads and blackheads). Sebum is a protective oil produced by tiny glands, known as the sebaceous glands, which beautiful curl reside beside the facial hair follicles.

Bacteria
Bacteria also play a job within the formation of acne in your facial hair follicles. The acne-related bacteria Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) can contribute to mild comedones progressing into more serious types of acne, such as pustules. P. acnes bacteria could be present on your face at any time, but thrive in the low oxygen environment of a plugged follicle. This permits the bacteria to grow and multiply, causing infection and inflammation.

Hormones
Hormones may play a job in both acne and facial hair formation. In men, androgen hormones such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can trigger the production of facial hair, and might also increase the beautiful curl activity of the sebaceous glands, making the skin more vulnerable to acne formation. Although androgens are more common in men, women also can be affected by these hormones. For instance, both pregnancy and diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome can increase the degrees of androgens in the body, leading to cases of female facial hair growth and acne. How much you might be affected by these hormonal changes may be influenced by your genetic makeup, with some genes making you more susceptible to hormonal imbalances.

Medications
Some medications may additionally cause an increase in acne formation and facial hair growth. For example, synthetic hormone medications including dehydroepiandrosterone, corticosteroids and anabolic androgenic steroids may cause an increase in sebum production, leading to acne development in both women and men. These medications also increase your androgen levels, which may lead to facial hair growth.